There is no more important part of the audio visual experience than the cable which connects your TV to your Blu-Ray player. Without it you just have two useless boxes. Right now, the best way to connect both audio and visual is through a single HDMI cable. Capable of pushing data uncompressed, the HDMI cable bring crystal clear audio and stunning visuals to your screen. There are many places to purchase a HDMI cable, such as at Madison Tech (http://www.madisontech.com.au/), but before you buy, there are a few important things to take into consideration when choosing the right cable.
Cable Length
The first thing you need to consider is the length of cable that you need. With many different lengths to choose from, it is best to get one that is slightly longer than you need. When moving devices, such as Blu-Ray players that are connected via HDMI, it is handy to have extra length on the cable, giving you more room to move without pulling or damaging anything with a tight cable.
Quality of Cable
The length of the HDMI cable, just like any other cable, directly affects how well the signal transmits. Standard HDMI will easily transmit 1080i quality up to 15m, while the high speed cable will only reach 7.5m at the higher 1080p quality. It is not advisable to use a HDMI cable at such lengths. If it is not avoidable, or you need to go longer, an amplifier is needed to help push the data to the desired length.
Different Versions of HDMI
It is important to note that there are different versions of HDMI cable, the current being 1.3. The later the version is, the more information it can carry on it. While new versions are being released, the current version is capable of transmitting 4K quality, so it is unnecessary to be concerned about the future proofing of the HDMI cable.
Over Priced Retailers
Many of the popular, big chain, technology retail stores will sell HDMI cables at exuberant prices. All cables of the same version will have the same quality output, despite what the retail chains will claim. Stores specialising in cabling or audio visuals will often have the best prices, as well as a larger range of cables to choose from.
Types of HDMI
Four mains types of HDMI cables are available. High speed with and without Ethernet, and standard with or without Ethernet. The addition of Ethernet in the cable allows for fast data transfer between two devices that have Ethernet functionality. Standard HDMI is only able to go up to 1080i or 720p, while the High speed HDMI goes beyond 1080p, and is able to transfer 4K quality, 3D and Deep Colour to and from compatible devices.
When shopping for your cable, remember to get the cable that you need, knowing that new versions will not provide you with any benefits to the current version. The best choice for most circumstances is the High speed HDMI without Ethernet. If you have any more tips on shopping for HDMI cables, put them in the comments section below.
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